Startex Lawyers

Brian is a former 13th Circuit Public Defender and has worked with thousands of clients. He has worked with on cases ranging from simple assault to murder. Furthermore, he has handled numerous high profile media cases, mentored new attorneys, and developed an outstanding reputation among his colleagues. As a private attorney, he uses these experiences and strengths to devise sound, strategic legal plans for each of his criminal and family law clients. Brian believes that having an attorney who is knowledgeable and methodical is crucial. Moreover, he prides himself on being accessible and honest with his clients.

George’s practice is concentrated in workers’ compensation and personal injury claims. He has handled hundreds of cases before the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission, including through trial and appeal before the South Carolina Court of Appeals. George has likewise handled hundreds of cases in state and federal courts throughout South Carolina. He is passionate about representing injury victims and takes great pride in the personal relationship he builds with each of his clients. George holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from The Citadel. After graduating, he accepted a Commission into the U.S. Air Force. He deployed multiple times during his...

Virginia grew up in Prince George, Virginia until she moved to South Carolina to attend the University of South Carolina, where she graduated magna cum laude in 2019 with a degree in Criminal Justice. After college she worked for the University of South Carolina before moving to Arkansas, where she graduated with honors from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law in 2023. During law school she was a member of law review where she published an article in the UALR Law Review journal (Volume 45) and held leadership roles with multiple organizations. Outside of...

James Christopher Sproat (Jim) is an attorney with Smith, Born, Leventis, Taylor & Vega, LLC. Mr. Sproat received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina in 2008 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2011. While at the University of Cincinnati, Mr. Sproat served as both the Student Bar Association President and the Managing Editor of the Immigration and Nationality Law Review. He was admitted to practice law in South Carolina in 2011, after working with both the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio...

Danny Vega boasts nearly 20 years of experience in the legal profession and has represented over one thousand clients in workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability claims. Danny takes great pride in building strong relationships with his clients, personally handling client intake, claim management, evidence discovery, court proceedings, hearings, and file closure. Danny speaks fluent Spanish and enjoys providing legal services to members of the Hispanic community as he is able to converse with and relate to his Spanish-speaking clients in their primary language.

Jacob Born concentrates in the areas of premises liability, personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, product liability, nursing home abuse and neglect, catastrophic injury litigation and trucking accidents. Jacob received his J.D. from The Charleston School of Law and was admitted to practice in 2011. He was also admitted to practice in Georgia in 2012.

Rob Usry has lived in South Carolina all his life, graduating Wofford College in 1996 and later University of South Carolina in 2000. His law degree first transitioned into work as a law clerk for a state circuit court judge in Barnwell for one year before practicing law in Easley. It was then in 2005 when he joined Holland & Usry, P.A and has been proud to represent fellow South Carolinians. He works primarily in matters of Personal Injury, Car Accidents, Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, and Family Law.

Matthew Starling, a native of Spartanburg, SC, embarked on a remarkable journey that reflects his dedication and passion for justice. After graduating from Mars Hill University in 2012, Matthew initially ventured into the corporate world, where he honed his skills in sales and management over six years. However, fueled by a desire for a more impactful career, he made the life-changing decision to pursue law. His pursuit led him to Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in Michigan, where Matthew immersed himself in legal studies. His hard work and dedication culminated in his graduation in 2020 with the prestigious Magna Cum...

Catherine Christophillis began her career in law thirty-eight years ago after receiving her juris doctorate from the University of South Carolina Law School. Catherine joined our firm in 2016 and focuses her practice on family law issues such as divorce, separation, child custody name change, child support and alimony as well as preparation of wills, powers of attorney and health care powers of attorneys. Catherine is both a certified mediator/arbitrator and Guardian ad Litem. She was trained in Atlanta, GA in 1993 before South Carolina approved mediation. She served on the committee that wrote and proposed...

When people from upstate South Carolina need legal advice or representation for a variety of Family Law and other legal matters or Personal Injury, McManaway Law, LLC, is always ready to provide the high quality, experienced legal assistance they want. Attorney Karen R. McManaway has an excellent reputation for working closely with her clients to help them successfully resolve simple to complex legal matters and disputes.

Mr. Creech was born and raised in Greenville, S.C. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., in 1994. He then attended the University of South Carolina School of Law and graduated in 1997. He began his legal career as a judicial law clerk for Judge C. Victor Pyle Jr.. After his judicial clerkship, Mr. Creech became a prosecutor, where he handled almost every type of criminal case from simple DUI cases to murder. Mr. Creech also received extensive training in trial advocacy within the internal training system of the District Attorney’s Office...

With over 25 years of experience, Attorney Michael Hart represents clients, exclusively, in the areas of personal injury, automobile accidents, and workers’ compensation. His empathy extends beyond the courtroom, as many of his family members have come from the blue collar working class. It is this empathy and passion for the greater good of people that has allowed Hart to be a successful lawyer, representing his clients relentlessly day in and day out. Before his career as a lawyer, Hart attended Indiana University where he graduate with his degree in Secondary Education. After discovering his strong passion for people and...

R. Lawton Harper concentrates his practice solely in Workers’ Compensation. Lawton was born and raised in Beaufort, South Carolina. He left home to attend Elon University in North Carolina, where he graduated in 2017 with a degree in History and Education. After college, he returned to the Lowcountry and served South Carolina as a social studies teacher and basketball coach at Summerville High School. He then enrolled at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he graduated with honors in 2022. He is excited to once again be helping the people of South Carolina. In his free time, Lawton...

Immediately after passing the South Carolina Bar, Attorney Caroline Temple began working at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers in the Veterans Disability Law subdivision. Her passion for people, especially for veterans, has allowed for her to represent clients to ensure that they receive the disability payments they deserve. She understands that in today’s society, veterans are often over-looked. For this reason, she works hard to make sure each of her veteran clients is comfortable and confident through the entire case process. Before beginning her career in law, Temple attended Louisiana State University where she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees...

Elizabeth (Liz) Hope Philpot is a graduate of the College of Charleston with a degree in English and Political Science (B.A. 1988) and the University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D. 1991). She resides in Greenville, SC, and is a member of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church. Licensed to practice law in all South Carolina State and Federal Courts.

Justin obtained his law degree from the Charleston School of Law. He pursued additional study at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, where he earned his LL.M. (Master of Laws) in taxation law, making him uniquely qualified to practice in the areas of law he focuses on.

Justin works with a wide range of clients from various backgrounds and situations. No matter the client’s family, financial or business dynamics he approaches his work with thorough consideration to carefully tailor each plan to meet the specific goals and needs of each client. His estate planning practice ranges from simple wills...

Paul Hammack is licensed in South Carolina and Georgia, and serves both areas in personal injury and worker's compensation cases.

Paul moved to Greenville, South Carolina in 1992 and has been an active member of his communities in South Carolina and Georgia ever since. He worships in Greenville and volunteers his time with several civic and charitable organizations, including the United Way and the American Red Cross. He has also served on the Board of Directors for Hands On Greenville.

Henry Philpot is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Business (B.S. 1961) and the University of South Carolina School of Law (LL.B. 1964). He and his wife Becky are members of Berea Friendship United Methodist Church and they reside in the North Greenville area. They have four children of whom three are attorneys at the family law firm. Henry is licensed to practice law in all South Carolina State and Federal Courts.

Graduate of the College of Charleston with a degree in Business (B.S. 1984) and the University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D. 1986). Member of Newspring Church and resides with his wife Paula in the North Greenville area. They have seven children living in the Greenville area and throughout the southeast. Licensed to practice law in all South Carolina state and federal courts.

Alexander “Alex” Lewis is a lifelong resident of Spartanburg, South Carolina. He attended Spartanburg High School and upon graduation enrolled at Clemson University. While at Clemson, Alex was a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and the William T. Howell Pre-Law Society. Alex graduated from Clemson in May of 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in History.

Upon graduation from Clemson, Alex enrolled in the Charleston School of Law where he graduated in 2010. While in law school, Alex excelled in and out of the classroom. In addition to serving as the Student Body President in his third year, Alex was...

Daniel Christmann is an Immigration Lawyer in Charlotte NC and the owner of Christmann Legal Immigration Law. His international personal and professional background inspired him to implement a unique cosmopolitan approach to the practice of law. Mr. Christmann is dually trained and licensed both in Europe and the United States and fluently speaks both English and German. He has worked in government and corporate settings as well as private practice. His professional experience has taught him to analyze cases from all angles and produce honest work in an efficient manner. Mr. Christmann started his legal career in Germany, where he...

I am Principal in the Greenville, South Carolina, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Since joining the firm in May 2000, I have focused almost exclusively in the area of ERISA benefits litigation, although I also have experience in employment litigation and OSHA defense work. My practice is limited to defense of employers, plans, plan sponsors, insurers, and other ERISA entities.

In the course of my ERISA litigation practice, I have represented dozens of individual corporate clients in more than 400 matters, including class actions, interpleaders actions, single plaintiff benefit actions, and breach of fiduciary duty actions. I have been specially admitted...

Ryan Montgomery is a 1997 graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and communications. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore in 2000 and attended Georgetown University School of Law as a visiting student in 2000. Following his graduation from law school, Ryan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Michael D. Mason, Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. He then went onto work for a litigation and trial law firm in Rockville, Maryland. After the birth of his first child, he and his wife moved home to South Carolina where he...

Demi L. Messer practices Criminal Defense in the Upstate of South Carolina, mainly Greenville, Pickens, Anderson, and Laurens. She handles any criminal case with allegations ranging from a traffic ticket to drug charges to violent crimes. Her goal is to always provide her clients with professional representation that they are comfortable with and can count on. She is passionate about her clients, their cases, and their rights. She advocates for her clients through negotiations and at trial. She spends time learning each client's story and what makes them who they are. She is very passionate about criminal defense and enjoys serving...

John Hine received his Master of Laws in Taxation (LL. M.) from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Prior to attending the University of Florida, John earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law and his Bachelor of Science from Clemson University. John’s main areas of focus are Complex Estate Planning (which includes wills, revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, and health care powers of attorney), Corporate Formations, Tax (including Tax Exempt Organizations), and Probate Administration and Litigation. In addition to practicing law, John is also a Visiting...

The law office of Maggi Fields Bailey is a solo law firm that strives to deliver advocacy with down to earth legal advice. Ms. Bailey has been practicing law for 28 years. Ms. Bailey works in the areas of family law, adoption, probate law, simple estate and trust planning, personal injury/car accidents, and mediation.

I have over forty five years of business and legal experience. Prior to entering law, I owned and managed corporations involved in various fields of the construction industry and am a past president of Carolina's Associated General Contractors. I currently handle divorce, probate, estate planning, personal injury and construction claims. I have successfully settled a lawsuit against a city for sewer backup into a residence and a developer for faulty construction of a residence. My years of business and personal experience enable me to offer my clients professional advice and legal representation from a point of view that is not...

Russell Guest is a Greenville lawyer who is experienced in injury cases. He finds fulfillment in helping injured people and their families overcome the stresses that often accompany an accident. He has extensive experience dealing with insurance companies, particularly in challenging negotiations.

Russell graduated from the College of Charleston and received his law degree from the University of South Carolina Law School.

In his free time, Russell enjoys being with his wife and three children, especially when doing outdoor activities. He also loves to serve at First Presbyterian Church, Greenville.

Ron Tate focuses his practice on business and commercial law, including design and construction matters. He also has significant appellate experience before the South Carolina Court of Appeals. Ron has volunteered extensively in the Greenville community and is a graduate of Leadership Greenville and Leadership South Carolina. He is currently serving on the board of the Alliance for Quality Education in Greenville. Ron is a member of the Greenville County Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar, the Defense Research Institute, and the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association. He serves as ethics counsel to the firm.

John M. (“Jack”) Read IV was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from The Citadel in 1991 and from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1994. He is admitted to practice law in both South Carolina and Georgia in both the federal and state courts. Jack has successfully litigated a wide variety of cases including contract disputes, personal injury, criminal defense, mortgage fraud, consumer fraud, insurance bad faith, foreclosure defense, real estate contract disputes, partnership dissolution, construction defects and zoning issues, civil RICO, criminal prosecution, evictions, mold damage, and others. In addition to...